I wanted to love the Netflix show GLOW, but I ultimately
found it to be an uneven experience. While
it got better as it went along, a lot of the drama felt forced and sitcom-y,
especially early on. Luckily, Marc Maron
was terrific as the schlock moviemaker-turned-wrestling director who was
loosely based on Matt Cimber, and his performance alone made it worthwhile.
As a fan of the original Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, I
wondered how closely the show would hew to what really happened. Not very close as it turns out. If you enjoyed the Netflix show and/or was a
fan of the GLOW wrestling show in the ‘80s, you owe it to yourself to check
this documentary out. Not only will it
give you a better picture about how the show came together, it will also pull
at your heartstrings, something the Netflix show had a hard time doing. It is simply one of the best wrestling
documentaries ever made.
GLOW: The Story of
the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling shows how everything really went down. From the show’s humble origins, to the
casting, to the rehearsals, and finally to being filmed at the Riviera Hotel in
Las Vegas. We also learn how the show
suddenly disappeared (at the height of its popularity, no less) and the fates
of the female wrestlers who were left in the lurch.
The footage from the old show is priceless. The scenes of the girls rapping are especially
memorable. The new interviews with the
ladies is genuinely moving too, particularly the scenes with fan favorite Mt.
Fuji. She proves to be just as charming
and sweet as ever, even while confined to a nursing home bed. The scene where all the ladies are reunited
for the first time in nearly thirty years is guaranteed to leave you misty
eyed.
Unfortunately, Cimber declined to participate in any of the
interviews. We do see him at the
reunion, mingling with the ladies, and bringing cheer to Mt. Fuji. He probably deserves his own documentary
somewhere down the line.
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